SNFs Should Plan on Submitting Staffing Data to CMS as Early as Possible

Emily Mongan, Staff Writer at McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, reported that the best window for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) to submit their staffing data in is approaching. During a SNF Open Door Forum conference call on September 17, 2015, federal officials stated SNFs that submit electronic staffing data on October 1, 2015, will see the best results in terms of data submission testing.

Although the mandatory filing period does not being until July 1, 2016, Lorelei Chapman, a health insurance specialist with the Division of Nursing Homes, Survey & Certification Group, said that providers should use the voluntary submission period to full advantage in order to test their data submission processes as soon as it becomes available.

Some providers may be worried that by submitting their data early, they will become an easy target for survey or enforcement, but Ms. Chapman added that “The data will not be used for survey or enforcement purposes and not used in the Five-Star Quality Rating System. There is no risk to submitting data.” Like Lorelei, many providers also see this early submission as a true advantage.

So, if you’re a provider, how do you get in on the early submission? Here is the process:

Obtain a CMSNet User ID for individual corporate and third party Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Users

Obtain a PBJ QIES Provider ID for CASPER Reporting and PBJ system access

Provide feedback on the process in order to ensure that the strategic plan is performing as expected